I completed my ninth challenge last week. This qualified under number 10: a book you own but have never read. The book was Planescape Torment by Ray & Valerie Vallese.

Planescape Torment is based upon the computer game of the same name from Interplay. The book was published by TSR in 1999, when it was a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast. The back cover blurb describes the book as follows:

The endless Blood War rages, a never-ending battle between the fiends of the planes. Amid this horrific conflict, a single hero with no memory of his past seeks to discover his true identity.

Of course, this being the planes, his companions on his quest are . . . unusual. But if you can’t trust a floating skull, an eccentric inventor, and a succubus, who can you trust?

After the deep sentiments of Meditations, I quickly devoured this book. I love the Planescape setting, and this book captures it brilliantly. This is especially true of Mort, the wisecracking floating skull whose language is littered with the cant of Sigil. I definitely would have preferred more of Mort.

I bought this book from a National Trust second-hand bookshop, and this has earned its place in my collection. The plot is dense, so a second read may help me to understand what is happening. However, we see plenty of Sigil, a few of the many planes and the supporting characters are fun.

Where next?

This now completes nine books for the Reading Challenge, which feels like good progress. I must keep pushing forward to complete the challenge in 2016. I am now down to three options:

9. A book you previously abandoned

11. A book that intimidates you

12. A book you have already read at least once

It is time for the harder options. My next book qualifies under option 11, as pre-Tolkien fantasy novels are often hard going. The last one I tried was abandoned, so this could be a slog.